Wire coiling apparatus



Jan. 13, 1953 P. A. BEAMAN 2,625,340

WIRE comm; APPARATUS Filed Nov. 28, 1950 2 Sl-lEETS-SHEET 1 3! .30 w -14 20 I 27 8 I7 3-- 2.

r 27 .20 as INVENTORQ PHINEAS A. BEAMAN ATTORNEY Jan. 13, 1953- P, SEAMAN 2,625,340

Y WIRE comm; APPARATUS Filed Nov. 28, 1950 2 smms-smm 2 4 .INVENTOR. Paws/as A.. SEAMAN A'r'ronrvav Patented Jam, 13, 1953 1 UNITED, sr 'rss PATENT OFFICE WIRE OOILING APPARATUS Phineas A. Beaman, Worcester, Mass lllllllol to Morgan Construction Company, Worcester, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Application November as, 1950, Serial No. 191,91:

9 Claims. (01. 242-78) This invention relates to wire coiling apparatus, and more particularly to the construction and arrangement of a rotatable block for pulling stantially tangential draft line near the lower and coiling wire in connection with various cylindrical outer surface on which wire is coiled. The wire approaches this surface along a subend of the capstan. Beneath the capstan there are located a plurality of dogs which are spaced apart clrcumferentlally about the capstan and revolve-therewith. Each dog has a nose which extends upwardly along the cylindrical surface of the capstan and closely adjacent to the said surface. Each dog i automatically raised and lowered once for each rotation of'the capstan so that the upper end of the nose will travel up and down across the horizontal drafting plane which extends through the point of wire tangency. Each nose is in its lower position below the drafting manner. Such a block will operate satisfactorily with wire of circular cross-section, provided there is sufllcient wire tension, but if the wire is of a square or rectangular cross-section or otherwise shaped to provide sharp corners, various difliculties arise. In particular, a comer of the on-coming wire is very likely to catch upona corner of the lowermost convolution and overla the same rather than wedging thereunder. hen this occurs, the convolutions will not move upwardly along the block and a proper coil will not be formed. Furthermore, even if the wire does wedge under the lowest convolution, the corners of the wire are likely to be damaged. While attempts have been made to overcome this difllculty, no entirely satisfactory solution has been disclosed heretofore.

It is accordingly one object of the invention to provide a wire coiling apparatus which is capable of handling wire of sharp cornered crosssections in a thoroughly dependable and satisfactory manner.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a simple and efllcient wire coiling apparatus including a block rotatable aboutv a vertical axis and adapted to form a proper coil of wire irrespective of the cross-section of the wire.

, It is a further object of the invention to provide a dependable wire coiling block which will .not require high wire tension for satisfactory operation.

With these and other objects in view, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art, the invention resides in the combination of parts set forth in. the specification and covered by the claims appended hereto.

In accordance with the invention in its preferred form there is provided a capstan rotatable about a vertical axis and having a substantially plane as it approaches the on-coming tangential wire strand. Hence when the nose moves upwardly it will engage the lowermost convolution or the wire and push the same upwardly. If

desired-the drafting plane may be established by an outwardly extending flange on the lower portion of the capstan, the flange having openings therethrough within which the pusher noses are located. The cylindrical surface of the capstan preferably extends downwardly into. the said openings and hence well below the drafting plane. The lower edge of the capstan is preferably notched adjacent each flange opening to receive the corresponding dog when the latter is raised. the top oi each notch being located slightly below the drafting plane.

Referring to the drawings illustrating one embodiment of the invention and in which like reference'numerals indicate like parts,

Fig. 1 is a vertical section through a wire coiling apparatus, taken on the line l-l of Fig. 2; ms'igi. 2 is a section taken on the line 2--2 of Fig. 3 is an elevation taken in the direction indicated by the arrow 3 in Fig. l, with part of glock flange broken away for clearness of illustra- Fig. 4 is an enlarged plan viewof a renewable pusher block: v

Fig. 5 is an elevation of the block shown in Fig. 4; and

Fig; 6 is a fragmentary perspective view of a capstan.

The embodiment illustrated comprises a stationary frame member is which carries an annular roller hearing I I for the support of a vertical rotatable spindle It. This spindle extends above the bearing. and to the upper portion of the spindle there is keyed the hub ll of a wire coiling capstan i I having a substantially cylindrical outer surface I, which may be slightly tapered upwardly. A generally horizontal flange l1 extends outwardly from the lower portion of the capstan, these parts preferably being integral. The apparatus is adapted to cell an on-coming strand of wire W which approaches the capstan along a draft line tangential to the capstan and immediately'above the flange i'l. Thus the intersection of the upper surface of the flange with the cylindrical surface of the capstan determines the drafting plane.

If the wire W were of circular cross section, the on-comlng strand would force the preceding convolutions of wire thereabove upwardly along the capstan by wedging itself beneath the lowermost convolution as the capstan rotates, provided the on-coming strand were sufficiently tensioned by being drawn through a reducing die or otherwise processed. However, if the wire is of square cross section (as shown) or otherwise shaped to provide sharp corners, or if the wire tension is relatively low, this wedging action cannot be depended upon to force the wire upwardly in the desired manner. v

in order that all shapes of wire may be coiled without difficulty there are provided a plurality of dogs i9 located beneath the capstan, these dogs being spaced apart circumferentially about the capstan and arranged to revolve therewith. Four of these dogs are shown, spaced equally about the axis of the capstan. Each dog l9 has a nose which extends upwardly along the cylindrical surface It of the capstan and closely adjacent to the said surface. Preferably the inner portion of each nose It is formed by a separate piece or block 2| of hard wear resisting material having tapped holes 23 (Fig. 4) therein for the reception of screws 24 (Fig. 3) which attach it to the main part of the nose. The inner surface 25 (Fig. 4) of each piece 2| is curved to conform closely with the curvature of the surface It of the capstan. The upper surface of each nose is inclined laterally, as shown in Fig. 3, to conform approximately to the helix angle of the wire coil. The flange i1 is provided with openings 21 through which the noses 2Q may extend, and the lower edge of the capstan is provided with a notch 28 (Fig. 1) adjacent each opening 21 to receive the corresponding dog i9 when the latter is raised. It will be noted that the top of each notch is located slightly below the drafting plane, and that the cylindrical surface it extends downwardly a short distance into the flange openings 21.

Each of the dogs i9 is automatically raised and lowered once for each rotation of the capstan so that the upper end of the nose will travel up and down across the drafting plane. For this purpose a vertical rod 30 extends upwardly from the inner portion of each dog, each rod being slidable within a closely fitting bore ii in the capstan. Coiled compression springs 32 engage the upper ends of the rods 30 to urge the rods and the dogs downwardly. An annular face cam 3iis fastened to the frame It to provide an upper cam surface 35 beneath the dogs. Each dog carries an idler roller 36 which engages this cam surface and rolls along the same as the capstan rotates.

The operation of the invention will now be apparent from the above disclosure. The spindle l2 and the capstan It will be rotated by a suitable source of power, and the wire W will approach the capstan along a horizontal draft line tangential to the cylindrical surface "5 and immediately above the flange H. The cam 84 will actuate the dogs In and cause the upper ends of the wire to ride over the said convolution rather than to make proper contact with the capstan surface ll. Furthermore, since this surface it extends slightly below the draft line (and in fact somewhat into the openings 21) it is free from sharp horizontal edges which have damaged the wire and prevented its proper upward movement in the operation of prior coiling apparatus. Since the inner surface of each nose is curved to fit the capstan surface l8. and the upper surface of each nose is inclined at approximately the helix angle of the coil, there is no danger of the noses caus- Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A wire coiling block comprising a capstan rotatable about an upright axis and having a substantially cylindrical outer surface which wire approaches along a substantially tangential draft line near the lower end of the capstan, a plurality of dogs revoluble with the capstan, the dogs being located beneath the capstan and spaced apart circumferentially about the same, each dog having a nose which extends upwardly along the said cylindrical surface and closely adjacent thereto, and means to raise and lower each dog once for each rotation of the capstan and cause the upper end of the nose to travel up and down across the drafting plane, each nose being in its lower position below the drafting plane as it approaches the on-coming tangential wire strand so that when it moves upwardly it will engage the lowermost convolution of the wire and push. the same upwardly.

2. A wire coiling block as set forth in claim 1, in which the inner surfaces of the noses are curved to conform closely with the cylindrical outer surface of the capstan.

3. A wire coiling block as set forth in claim 1, in which the upper surfaces of the noses are inclined at approximately the helix angle of the wire coil.

4. A wire coiling block as set forth in claim 1, in which the inner portion of each nose is formed of a separate removable block of hard wear-resisting material.

these notches being located below the drafting plane.

6. A wire coiling block comprising a capstan rotatable about an upright axis and having a substantially cylindrical outer surface which wire approaches along a substantially tangential draft line near the lower end of the capstan, a flange extending outwardly from the capstan beneath the draft line and provided with a plurality of openings therethrough which are spaced apart circumferentially about the capstan, a dog associated with each opening and having an upwardly projecting nose located therein, the noses having inner surfaces which lie close to the cylindrical outer surface of the capstan, and means to raise and lower each dog once for each rotation of the capstan and cause the upper end of the nose to ,travel up and down across the drafting plane,

each nose being in its lower position below the drafting plane as it approaches the on-coming tangential wire strand so that when it moves upwardly it will engage the lowermost convolution of the wire and push the same upwardly.

'7. A wire coiling block as set forth in claim 6. in which the cylindrical outer surface of the capstan extends downwardly into the openings in the flange.

8. A wire coiling block comprising a capstan rotatable about an upright axis and having a substantially cylindrical outer surface which wire approaches along a substantially tangential draft li'ne near the lower end of the capstan, a plurality of dogs revoluble with the capstan, the dogs being located beneath the capstan and spaced apart circumferentially about the same, each dog having a nose whose inner surface is cylindrical and which extends upwardly along the said cylindrical surface of the capstan and closely adjacent thereto, the upper surface of the said nose being inclined at approximately the helix angle of the wire coil, and means to raise and lower each dog once for each rotation of the capstan and cause the upper end of the nose to travel up and down across the drafting plane, each nose being in its lower position below the drafting plane as it approaches the on-coming tangential wire strand so that when it moves upwardly it will engage the lower-most convolution of the wire and push the same upwardly.

9. A wire coiling block comprising a capstan rotatable about an upright axis and having a substantially cylindrical outer surface which wire approaches along a substantially tangential draft line near the lower end of the capstan, a flange integral with and extending outwardly from the capstan beneath the draft line and provided with a plurality of openings therethrough which are spaced apart circumferentially about the capstan. the cylindrical outer surface of the capstan extending downwardly into the openings in the flange, a dog associated with each opening and having an upwardly projecting nose located thereon, the noses having separable portions formed of relatively wear-resistant material and having inner cylindrical surfaces which lie close to the cylindrical outer surface of the capstan, the dogs being mounted on the capstan and revolving therewith, and means to raise and lower each dog once for each rotation of the capstan and cause the upper end of the nose to travel up and down across the drafting plane, each nose being in its lower position below the drafting plane as it approaches the on-coming tangential wire strand so that when it moves upwardly it will en gage the lowermost convolutions of the wire and push the same upwardly, said means comp a cam surface underlying the capstan and being fixed relative to the capstan rotation.

PHINEAS A. B

REFERENCES orrsn The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

